Comments

Duckhunter, so the fact that Jordan Johnson led BYU (look at that, still able to
capitalize names like an adult!) in defended passes last year actually makes it
fortunate for them that he's not playing this year or he would just be
thrown on and completed against more often? I think not.

Regarding
Dres, I've said myself that he is prone to losing focus and dropping
passes. What is pathetic is trying to disparage him and one achievement he has
by simply pointing out one flaw. I've seen Hoffman drop several passes he
should have caught this year, too. He's still a very good player. Trying to
say otherwise would be just as pathetic as trashtalking a receiver with better
stats than him.

DuckhunterHighland, UT

Nov. 5, 2013 8:56 a.m.

@stg

I've seen plenty of utah games and yes anderson has dropped
a bundle of passes. Let's just go back one game shall we, the usc game,
ball hits anderson squarely in the hands, ball bounces off andersons hands, usc
player catches the deflection for an interception, and that is not the only time
it has happened. You are right, I don't know if he leads the pac12 in drops
but I do know he has dropped a LOT of passes so I guaranty he is up there in
drops.

As for mcgill, well leading a league in passes defensed means
teams are throwing your direciton a lot. Teams throw your direction a lot
because they complete passes your direction a lot. You get more opportunities to
knock passes down because more come your way because the result is more often
good for the team throwing the ball than it isn't. That is an instance
where a stat is misleading because it is more a product of how many passes are
thrown at him.

@no perspective.

Yes I have comcast so I
have the pac12 network. I watch games that interest me.

"Great attitude. Just as Utah is the best team in the state, that isn't
enough anymore. It used to be enough to make a great season. But now our rivals
are USC, ucla, Stanford, Oregon, Colorado, and the rest of the conference of
champions. Only a few plays away from beating ucla and Oregon state. More than a
few plays away from beating USC and Arizona. Beat top 10 Stanford. Such is life
in a power conference. Still have full confidence Whittingham can take us back
to the top 10, as he has already done so."

Drink the Kool-Aid
much? I would love that this were the case. Do you think USC (or even UCLA,
Stanford, etc.) considers us a rival? Look, USC considers us a rival much like
Wyoming considered us a rival. Did you see the poor attendance at the USC game?
For a "rivalry" game? Please.

The fact is, we have no
rivals in the PAC 12. Our peers are Washington State and Arizona (we are a cut
above CO). But nobody considers us a rival.

With our current
leadership, I see Arizona football as our CEILING. Whit needs to go.

StGtoSLCSALT LAKE CITY, UT

Nov. 3, 2013 12:48 p.m.

Duckhunter, oh really, you've watched each and every Pac-12 game and
documented how many drops each and every receiver has, and also determined that
one specific player on the team with the 4th least completions allowed has given
up more completions than any other player? That would be impressive if it were
true.

DuckhunterHighland, UT

Nov. 3, 2013 9:36 a.m.

@stg

And anderson is also leading the pac12 in dropped passes per
game while mcgill is also probably leading the league in passes given up per
game. Reilly is a stud.

StGtoSLCSALT LAKE CITY, UT

Nov. 2, 2013 8:57 p.m.

Down under, just like I said, that pill isn't going down for you very well.
Consider this:

19/45 (42%) of Hackett's punts have been downed
inside the opponents' 20 yard line. If he was "usually" on his own
20, just "unloading" on those, his average would likely be upwards of 50
yards per punt.

"When BYU punts it is usually from around
midfield so the punter has to hold up on distance." False. BYU's punter
averages barely a yard less per punt than Hackett. Arellano's had 18/53
punts downed inside the opponents' 20. That's almost 10% less than
Hackett.

Oh, and BYU doesn't have 6 more punts than Utah. They
have 6 more punts than the team that was, until last night, leading the Pac-12
in number of punts. USC, one of the conference's most dismal offensive
teams, took the lead last night as they played their 9th game before anyone
else. BYU is tied with them in number of punts. Not quite the offensive
juggernaut you made them out to be.

Two For FlinchingSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 2, 2013 12:12 p.m.

"When Utah punts it is usually on their own 20 so the punter has a lot more
room to work with and really unload."

I guess the fact that he
leads the PAC in punts down inside the 20 is really impressive then......

Down underSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 2, 2013 11:16 a.m.

StGto SLC,Please consider the following:When Utah punts it is
usually on their own 20 so the punter has a lot more room to work with and
really unload. When BYU punts it is usually from around midfield so the punter
has to hold up on distance. Also consider that BYU runs over 100 plays a game.
Utah is no where close to that as you can't get tha many plays off with
multiple 3 and out's. That is why BYU has 6 more punts but probably well
over 100 plays in all their games.Nice try though.

MyPerspectiveSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 2, 2013 10:13 a.m.

Rockarolla

"The Joke of the PAC12=Utah"

As Larry
Scott is authorized to speak on behalf of the Pac-12, here's how the Pac-12
views Utah...

"The integration of Utah within the conference has
been terrific...culturally, academically and administratively it's fit in
very, very well. In terms of athletic competition and success, there
weren't really metrics that we set out...when you expand, when you take new
teams into the conference, you really have to do it with a long-term view. When
we looked at Utah, we looked at how compatible they were academically and
athletically, and over time we know they're going to have their share of
success."

There are probably a few
others, too, I really didn't bother thinking or looking too hard.

RockarollaWest Jordan, UT

Nov. 2, 2013 12:00 a.m.

How bad is your team when there is a article on the punter? If the Utes played
USU or BYU right now they would lose both games. The Joke of the PAC12=Utah

DuckhunterHighland, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 11:36 p.m.

@stg

Who else on the utah team is leading the conference in anything,
let alone multiple things?

StGtoSLCSALT LAKE CITY, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 10:27 p.m.

Duck, that's exactly my point; stats are meaningless without context.
Somebody like "Down under gone fishin utah rules etc etc," whatever
he/she wants to call him/herself at any given moment, can make up whatever
conclusion they want about stats, much of the time even changing them to match
their view of how it "should" be. Also, what's funny is that the
team whose "best player" is a punter has another player as a
semifinalist for an award that another team's best player in a decade is up
for. If you truly think Hackett is the team's best player, I'm sure he
appreciates the compliment of being considered better than nationally-recognized
players!

DuckhunterHighland, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 9:48 p.m.

@stg

Do you know how many more possessions BYU has per game than the
average pac12 team? I'm willing to bet it is probably close if you figured
an average of punts per possessions. I don't know the answer to that but
I'd be interested to hear what it is. BYU is I think 2nd or 3rd in
offensive plays per game so it would seem that would also lend itself to more
possessions per game and more punts per game. The relevant stat would be punts
per possessions I think.

StGtoSLCSALT LAKE CITY, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 7:28 p.m.

Down under: "Since he is leading the pac means he is also punting a lot
which means a sputtering offense."

You apparently don't know
what he's leading the Pac in, which is only embarrassing for you. He leads
the conference in yards per punt, net punt average and punts downed inside the
20 yard line. He does not lead the conference in punts per game. In fact,
BYU's current number would lead the Pac by 6 (that's about an entire
game's worth of punts!), so that's quite the glass house you're
throwing stones from. Tough pill for you to swallow.

Down underSalt Lake City, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 5:25 p.m.

Ducky,Agreed. On a good team the punter would ride the bench most of the
time and only be used when the offense sputters. Since he is leading the pac
means he is also punting a lot which means a sputtering offense. I like
fishin's comment that the utes averaged just 1.6 yards per play in the
second half. Tough pill to swallow for Chris B and ekute.

DuckhunterHighland, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 1:07 p.m.

Generally when your punter is the best player on yur team it is not a good
thing.

Congratulations?

BaneOfHedgehogBothell, WA

Nov. 1, 2013 12:25 p.m.

Hurray for punting! LOL!!

Steven S JarvisOrem, UT

Nov. 1, 2013 11:47 a.m.

I am first and foremost a BYU fan. I also root for the Utes and Aggies when
they are not facing the Cougars. I don't have a problem with fans of one
team or another commenting so long as they contribute something worthwhile that
follows the rules established by DNews. The rules are arbitrarily enforced by
the paper. Too many comments and entire accounts should not be allowed on the
paper as their sole purpose seems to rile up the masses.

Its time
DNews require accounts be linked up to verifiable accounts on Facebook or some
other source. It is also time DNews censor the offending comments in the sports
section.

As for the article, the punter is part of the team and he is
doing a strong job. Wilson has more problems than his hand. He has been telling
the defense who he will throw it to with his eyes. That leads to tip balls and
interceptions. If he doesn't fix this mechanic, Utah will not go
bowling.

Removing a redshirt is desperation. If they do, Wilson is
done as the Ute starter.

CougFaninTXFrisco, TX

Oct. 31, 2013 5:47 p.m.

I don't mind ute fans asking why coug fans comment of their articles, but
what makes no sense to me is why ute fans who frequently comment on coug
articles call us out for commenting.

However, if I hated the
utes, you can be sure I would never comment. In fact I would never read about
the utes.

Now back to the article. Punters who lead in yards per
kick are seldom from winning teams. This means the punter is frequently kicking
from inside their own 40 and can unleash their longest kick every time.

A much better measurement is how many times the punter pins their opponent
inside their 10 or even 5 yard line. This means the offense is getting to mid
field, and the punter is focused on placement instead of just distance.

Gone fishinPAC Country, WA

Oct. 31, 2013 5:23 p.m.

I just did the math and the utes averages 1.6 yards per play in the 2nd half of
the USC game. This explains the solid punting numbers. The punter outgained
the entire offense on one punt.

Gone fishinPAC Country, WA

Oct. 31, 2013 4:26 p.m.

Not a good stat to be leading in. It means that Utah punts a lot, hence the
horrible record against the weaker part of the conference. Can't wait to
see what happens against ASU and Oregon. The punts stats will continue to
climb.

Spokane UteSpokane, WA

Oct. 31, 2013 2:01 p.m.

It's too bad our QB doesn't lead the league in QB rating and our line
doesn't lead the league in fewest sacks allowed. That's what is
killing Utah; especially the last two weeks.

bribri86Phoenix, AZ

Oct. 31, 2013 12:51 p.m.

U 90

"@bribri86 "Read the first comment and you'll know
why BYU fans come on here (Utah threads). Ute fans need to stop calling out BYU
on every single Utah article and maybe they won't come here any
more."

How's that for some mad deductive reasoning
skills"

Not sure if you're making fun of me or high fiving
me. Unfortunately, sarcasm is difficult to interpret on these boards. Either
way, I'm always happy to point out the obvious. If you're high fiving
me, high five back. If you're making fun of me, whatever makes you feel
like the bigger man. Either way, have a great Halloween.

bribri86Phoenix, AZ

Oct. 31, 2013 12:46 p.m.

motorbike

"So let me get this straight, you "come on
here" because you're worried about what Ute fans are talking about on a
Ute related article? And about our punter no less? Thank you for adding
credibility to my first comment."

What are you talking about? I
came here to read an article. I read the comments if I'm board. I commented
on your comment. Oh, do you think I'm a BYU fan? That's being quite
presumptuous don't you think? I haven't said boo (happy Halloween) as
to who my affiliation is with, but it's not BYU.

nhatch82Eagle Mountain, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 12:29 p.m.

A good punter and kicker gets you straight to the Rose bowl right? Mark it
down! How many stars did those boys have Christy? These are the bright spots on
your team so they are bound to be 5 star athletes.

SEC Rules Seminole, FL

Oct. 31, 2013 12:23 p.m.

Not such a good stat to have. You guys can do better. You will do better.

There is good to go around all over the State of Utah when it comes to
FBS Football. If the team getting off the plane at the Salt Lake Airport is
Alabama, USC or whomever…and whether they have to travel East to the Utes,
South to the Cougs or travel North to the Aggies…they are going to be in
for a fight. I pity that team. Win or lose, that team will go home sore and
bruised.

You guys (meaning Utah, BYU or USU) “don’t go
quietly into the night”.

The MooseSouthern, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 12:19 p.m.

Back on topic--He's doing a great job. Field position does matter. I hope
Travis is healed. In my opinion, they should have sat him the Arizona game.
Again, just my opinion but if he took the extra week to heal before Arizona,
probably would have been 100% at USC and that could have made a major
difference. We need him healthy to win.

Gone fishinPAC Country, WA

Oct. 31, 2013 12:19 p.m.

Sure, When you go three and out on every series the punter will get lots of
chances to pad his numbers. Since Utah's football season is over can we
start to talk basketball?Oh, never mind.

U 90Corona, CA

Oct. 31, 2013 12:01 p.m.

@bribri86 "Read the first comment and you'll know why BYU fans come on
here (Utah threads). Ute fans need to stop calling out BYU on every single Utah
article and maybe they won't come here any more."

How's
that for some mad deductive reasoning skills

BeSmartCheyenne, WY

Oct. 31, 2013 10:24 a.m.

@ motorbikeI am a ute fan and Cougar fanbecause cougar fan are often
attackedI think this kid is a great punter and this really does help win
games

Johnny TriumphAmerican Fork, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 9:54 a.m.

Great job punting! Special Teams is a very important part of the team and helps
keep lower performing parts of the team in the game.

@motorbike, why
do you assume they're Cougar fans just because they dis the U?

Veritas AequitasFruit Heights, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 9:28 a.m.

Fact is the kid is a solid punter. Nice job for a sophomore.

Why is
Whitt keeping Manning on the bench, and risk missing a bowl game? Did he not see
the qb stats at USC?

motorbikeCottonwood Heights, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 9:25 a.m.

bribri86

"Read the first comment and you'll know why BYU
fans come on here. Ute fans need to stop calling out BYU on every single Utah
article and maybe they won't come here any more."-----------So let me get this straight, you "come on here" because you're
worried about what Ute fans are talking about on a Ute related article? And
about our punter no less? Thank you for adding credibility to my first comment.

Ernest T. BassBountiful, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 9:19 a.m.

He wont win the Hizeman because we're one of the only schools to ever win
one.

bribri86Phoenix, AZ

Oct. 31, 2013 9:05 a.m.

motorbike

Read the first comment and you'll know why BYU fans
come on here. Ute fans need to stop calling out BYU on every single Utah article
and maybe they won't come here any more.

HawkLittleton, CO

Oct. 31, 2013 8:40 a.m.

Yeah, motorbike, it either speaks volumes of the order of football in Utah, OR
the fact that there just isn't much to read about BYU this morning --
otherwise, why would BYU fans OR Utah fans be wasting their time on an article
about a PUNTER?

HawkLittleton, CO

Oct. 31, 2013 8:09 a.m.

Well, there ya go -- there ARE a couple of bright spots for the utes. Through
the haze of another frustrating season emerges the best punter -- AND place
kicker -- in the state. So THAT'S something to build on....

Cletus from CoalvilleCoalville, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 7:32 a.m.

He should win the hiesman for sure.

Go Utes!

motorbikeCottonwood Heights, UT

Oct. 31, 2013 7:09 a.m.

Three of five comments on an article about a Utah PUNTER are from Cougie fans.
Speaks volumes about the order of things in the state of Utah when it comes to
football.

backpacnSandy, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 11:38 p.m.

The truth is, not a single team in the PAC 12 even remotely considers Utah their
rival, not even Colorado, who is nothing more than a dance partner forced to
play the Utes during rivalry week.

Joe SchmoeOrem, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 10:49 p.m.

Seriously with all of that practice he should be leading the nation. All joking
aside he has done a nice job for Utah as has their skier kicker until the last
game.

Chris b errr lifelong ute,

Pretty sure none of those
schools you listed as your rivals would consider Utah to be their rival except
maybe Colorado. Keep touting the power conference thing though. At least Utah
has that. I'm just hoping I will be able to catch one of their next few
games on tv before the season is over. At least I can catch them on ESPN when
they play BYU. Oh wait is that over now as well?

StGtoSLCSALT LAKE CITY, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 10:23 p.m.

Hackett's been a great punter since he stepped on campus. The fact that he
pushed for playing time last year while Sellwood spent most the season leading
the nation in punting speaks for a lot. His average would probably be a bit
higher if not for the offense moving the ball significantly better than last
year. The fact that he's put 19 of his 45 punts inside the 20, 7 of those
inside the 10, and only 3 touchbacks (at least one of which only reaching the
end zone because of an error by the coverage team), is his most impressive
statistic, in my opinion. Keep it up, Tom!

EdGradyIdaho Falls, ID

Oct. 30, 2013 10:10 p.m.

He should be a great punter - Utah's offense gives him plenty of practice.

Lifelong UteSalt Lake City, UT

Oct. 30, 2013 9:15 p.m.

Great attitude. Just as Utah is the best team in the state, that isn't
enough anymore. It used to be enough to make a great season. But now our rivals
are USC, ucla, Stanford, Oregon, Colorado, and the rest of the conference of
champions. Only a few plays away from beating ucla and Oregon state. More than a
few plays away from beating USC and Arizona. Beat top 10 Stanford. Such is life
in a power conference. Still have full confidence Whittingham can take us back
to the top 10, as he has already done so.